Why go to ISSA/INTERCLEAN?

28th of April 2014

Exhibiting at ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam represents a major investment for companies - both in terms of time and money. So why do they keep coming back? ECJ finds out.

New business? Customer interaction? Industry intelligence? ISSA/INTERCLEAN offers all these and more - as well as a welcome opportunity to escape from the office. But this could be said of all exhibitions. However while figures at some events are in decline, ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam - now in its 25th edition - goes from strength to strength.

In 2012 670 companies from 42 countries exhibited, with 28,001 visitors. This figure was up from 2010 when 23,415 visitors attended and 651 companies exhibited.

So what is it about the biennial Amsterdam event that keeps new exhibitors signing up and existing ones coming back year after year?

Bio-Productions' main motivation for exhibiting at ISSA/INTERCLEAN is to attract new customers says managing director Mike James. "We are particularly interested in gaining new export business," he said. "Since we are a small company we don't have the budget of our bigger rivals, but we always have a good Interclean show. Our stand tends to attract quite a bit of interest and we usually pick up a reasonable amount of business."

The company has attended the show for around 18 years. "We feel that ISSA/INTERCLEAN is the most important and prestigious show there is," says James.

Wetrok views ISSA/INTERCLEAN as an opportunity to generate valuable sales leads and build new partnerships. The company has attended every one since the event was first staged, says head of marketing and innovation Thomas Kyburz. The Wetrok stand at this year's show will focus on a new launch due to be unveiled at the exhibition.

"We consider ISSA/INTERCLEAN to be a very important exhibition for the European cleaning industry," said Kyburz. "Additionally we use the event as a platform for networking and an opportunity to demonstrate our competence to a wide audience in the cleaning market."

Diversey Care uses ISSA/INTERCLEAN as a communication platform - both for existing customers and potential new ones. The company has exhibited at every show apart from the first.

Diversey Care's stand will once again be one of the largest at the event, according to Klemps. "However, the booth design will be different from previous years as it will reflect the innovations we are showcasing and the customer needs we address," she adds.

As far as Diversey Care is concerned, ISSA/INTERCLEAN is well worth the investment. "It allows us to show the breadth of our offer in terms of additional services, training, consulting and e-business solutions," said Klemps.

Numatic considers ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam to be the premier international forum for cleaning technology. The company will be launching a range of new products and will keep to its practice of manning a high-profile, dual-level stand.

"Our company has been exhibiting at ISSA/INTERCLEAN for the past 25 editions," said managing director Chris Duncan. "It's expensive, but good."

3M believes ISSA/INTERCLEAN to be all about connecting with customers. "We hope to meet new ones, and also to update our current customers about our latest developments," said business development manager Tim Copner. "It is always good to see what the competition is up to, but that is a secondary objective."

The company will be exhibiting at ISSA/INTERCLEAN for the first time in six years, says Copner ‘"We've stayed away because budget was an issue - and it is quite expensive to do these things properly," he said. "We also wanted to make sure that our stand had a good story to tell. Over the past few years we have launched a number of new products, which is why we have decided to exhibit again this year."

Hako describes ISSA/INTERCLEAN as a place to meet "top-class international trade professionals".

"It is also an excellent platform for us to present our innovative products, services and sustainability solutions," said head of marketing and product management Dr Ralf-Hendrik Steinkühler.

He adds that participating at ISSA/INTERCLEAN is a sensible investment. "All the important customer groups and partners worldwide will be visiting this significant industry get-together."

Tork manufacturer SCA considers ISSA/INTERCLEAN to be the perfect venue to meet partners and exchange ideas with key industry stakeholders. "We have been a part of the show since 2000 and we consider it a key event for our brand," said European project leader for Tork Camilla Skaremyr Krook. "We had a very successful exhibition in 2012 and will build on that."

Keep in touch

For P+L Systems, attending ISSA/INTERCLEAN is an excellent way of keeping in touch with what is going on in the industry. "The fact so many people choose ISSA to launch new products - as we will be doing this year - means there is no better place to learn about the latest innovations in the marketplace," said brand manager Francesca Hay.

This will be P+L Systems' fifth appearance at the show. "Over the years our stand has grown in size as we have acquired new brands and launched new products," said Hay. "But our aim of meeting as many of our global customers as we can remains the same."

Premiere Products is branching out into new business channels - and believes ISSA/INTERCLEAN to be the place to promote this. "We will be telling a whole new story and looking to network with existing customers and distributors while also meeting potential customers from our new business channels," said director of international sales Mark Hughes.

The company has exhibited at the event since 1990 and its stand has grown from a small booth to a 40 square-metre, two-storey construction.

So, is ISSA/INTERCLEAN worth the investment? "Absolutely," said Hughes. "We have pulled out of all the other exhibitions because we feel this to be the premier exhibition in the industry."